Should I tarp my Calgary roof before the adjuster comes?

Tarp first, then call your insurer the same day. Most home insurance policies include a duty to mitigate, meaning you are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a storm. If water is getting in and you wait, the insurer can argue that any additional damage was avoidable.

What "reasonable steps" actually means here

A tarp secured over a breached area, or a roofer placing an emergency cover, is exactly what insurers expect. Keep the receipt for any tarp or emergency labour cost; most policies reimburse reasonable mitigation expenses. What you should not do is authorize a full repair or replacement before the adjuster has seen the damage. The adjuster needs to inspect the original condition to assess the claim, and a contractor who pushes you to sign a full contract the morning after a storm, before the insurer is involved, is a warning sign the Insurance Bureau of Canada specifically flags.

Photograph everything before the tarp goes on: the damaged shingles, any interior water stains, the attic if it is safe to check from the hatch. Those photos are your record of what the storm actually caused, and they matter if the adjuster's scope differs from what you see.

Do not go onto the roof yourself. After a hailstorm, shingles are bruised and slippery, granules are loose, and the deck may be soft in spots. Alberta's OHS Code requires fall protection for anyone working at 3 metres or more above the level below, and a steep or wet residential roof is not a safe place for a homeowner without that equipment. Look from the ground with binoculars, check the attic for daylight or fresh stains, and let a roofer handle the tarping.

If a contractor shows up at your door offering to tarp and repair on the spot, ask for their name, business name and prepaid contracting licence number before agreeing to anything beyond the emergency cover. Service Alberta requires any business taking a deposit or payment before work is complete to hold a prepaid contracting licence; you can verify it on the Service Alberta licence lookup. Get a WCB-Alberta clearance letter from them before any work starts, so you are not left exposed if a worker is injured on your property.

Once the tarp is on and the insurer is notified, ask your adjuster whether they want to send their own inspector or whether you can get a roofer's inspection report to compare against the adjuster's scope. A detailed inspection report with photos and measurements, typically $450 to $700 from a roofer in Calgary, gives you an independent record if there is a dispute about how many squares were damaged.

Call your insurer first, tarp the breach the same day, and then let the adjuster's visit shape what work gets authorized before you sign anything with a contractor.